Chicago Audubon’s biennial Awards Banquet took place last Saturday at the Silver Stallion Restaurant in Des Plaines. Following the Banquet, the Annual Members Meeting voted on and welcomed to the board the slate of renewing officers and two new officers. The evening’s Program, “A Birders Trip to Cuba” was very well received and ended the evening perfectly. We hope to see you at the next Banquet in 2017 and at the Annual Members Meeting in 2016.

Location: North Park Village Nature Center, 5801 North Pulaski Road, Building D. This is our annual visit from the largest independent dealer of high quality binoculars, scopes, and all types of optical equipment. A variety of equipment will be on display and experts will be available all day to answer questions and give guidance.

Feeder Placement for Reducing Window Strikes—Placement of feeders within three feet of a window or more than 30 feet away from a window are the safest positions. When feeders are close to a window, a bird leaving the feeder cannot gain enough momentum to do itself harm if it strikes the window.

Donations to our Annual Appeal are always welcome at any time of the year! If you would like to help us maintain our educational and environmental missions, we would appreciate any contribution you are able to give. You can make a tax-deductible donation by clicking here, or if you prefer, you may call our office (773-539-6793).

This is migration time … just a friendly reminder …Please keep the following guidelines in mind if you sight one of these magnificent birds: The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership asks anyone who encounters a Whooping Crane in the wild to please give it the respect and distance it needs. Do not approach birds on foot within 600 feet, or if on a public road, do not approach within 300 feet. Please remain concealed and do not speak loudly enough that the bird can hear you. Finally, do not trespass on private property in an attempt to view them (or any other bird). Please do not report the bird on a birding list such as ibird or IBET or any social media. Also, do not report your sighting to the news media. To safely report a Whooping Crane sighting, go to fws.gov/midwest/whoopingcrane/sighting/sightingform.cfm. For general information on the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership, go to www.bringbackthecranes.org/index.html.

The Redstart Connection is a grassroots effort to unite the bird conservation communities of the Chicago region and the Guatemalan cloud forest - to help the birds that we each enjoy in different seasons. Although the cultures and the political landscape may be different, the basic problem of habitat loss is the same. For more information on this BCN initiative click here.

ILLINOIS BIRDS:A CENTURY OF CHANGE

Summary

Commissioned by the Illinois Natural History Survey, data compiled from bird counts at three fifty-year intervals, and repeated at the same locations, make up the oldest standardized survey in the nation.

Meet at Clarence Darrow Bridge, just south of Museum of Science and Industry, in Chicago's Jackson Park.

Chicago's Jackson Park.Every Saturday at 8:00 a.m.

These wonderful walks continue throughout the year. Bring binoculars, field guides, and dress for the weather. Meet at Clarence Darrow Bridge, just south of Museum of Science and Industry. To read a Chicago Tribune article on Wooded Island by Barbara Brotman from September 5, 2012, click here!

10:00 a.m. every second Saturday of the month.These workdays are continuous throughout the year.

The Chicago Audubon Society sponsors regular monthly workdays at Skokie Lagoons every second Saturday of the month. Activities include buckthorn cutting, brush pile burning, and other management activities. Wear work clothes. Meet at the Tower Road parking lot, east of the lagoon bridge. For further information, please call Dave Kosnik at (847) 456-6368. Everyone is welcome!

Ian Cheney’s 2011 award winning documentary – The City Dark – gives audiences an appreciation of what is being lost as we live in a world that is increasingly filled with light pollution. Besides no longer being able to enjoy stars in a night sky or inquire about the cosmos by peering deep into space – there are real dangers to human health and the well-being of the planet when we live in a 24-hour light cycle.

Migratory birds fatally attracted to urban lighting, baby turtles disoriented and confused by beach front lights are all victims of the rapid introduction of excessive outdoor lighting that has occurred in just the last generation. Changing light in the environment is altering habitat in a way that is not good for nature and humans.

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Click to view LargerChicago Audubon's Harrier Hat featuring a Northern Harrier patch, is now available for only $15.00 (add $3.00 for shipping) to Members and non-Members. Great colors, solid stitching, and an adjustable band. Contact our office at (773) 539-6793 or cas@chicagoaudubon.org. And although the basic Chicago Audubon Membership is $25 per year, if you join at $65 we will send you a hat!

If you shop on-line at Amazon.com, you can help CAS at no extra cost. Simply go to smile.amazon.com and choose Chicago Audubon Society as your charity of choice. Then shop, knowing that a portion of the purchase will support Chicago Audubon’s programs.